The invention relates to the technical sector of apparatus dispensing cellulose wadding, creped paper towels and towels of similar materials, especially those used for wiping the user""s hands, toilet paper and paper napkins.
Apparatus with automatic cutoff devices dispensing hand-towels where the potential user seizes the paper band to obtain a length of paper for the usage referred to, thereby actuating a given operating cycle are commercially available.
Applicant himself has developed numerous paper dispensing apparatuses, and notably those described in French patent application 9304082 and 9314609.
In these apparatuses, the paper band is cut across its entire unfolded width, thus retaining its original width. One of the original aspects of the dispensers described in the patents referred to earlier is its design, which, requiring only a reduced number of parts, allows rapid field installation with no special tools.
Summarily, the apparatus comprises a housing featuring lateral flanges formed such as to permit the rapid installation of a drum, its associated paper cutoff device and a tensioning device pressing down onto the drum, both parts locking in position automatically when pressed home and causing the paper band fed from a reel located in the upper housing to be tightened.
As part of various work and research projects carried out by the Applicant on apparatus for dispensing and cutting strips of wound materials, the Applicant proposed, especially in French Patent 2656601, the design of a drum having, either side of its central peripheral part defining the continuity of the cylinder and bounded by the lateral ends of the drum, shaped recesses or openings over a predetermined sector. These recesses make it possible to orientate and engage the corresponding parts of strips of material when the end of the paper band is pulled at an angle by the user rather than pulled normally in the direction of the forward extension of the apparatus. Such a design of the drum also makes it possible to reduce the weight of the drum and improves the operation of the apparatus to ensure a clean cut regardless of the direction in which the paper band is pulled by a user.
As part of the Applicant""s research, the latter has also become interested in the design of folded/unfolded paper towel dispensing apparatuses, particularly as defined in French Patent 9404399.
The approach taken by the Applicant, on the basis of all his knowledge and the various above-mentioned patents, has been to concentrate on devising different apparatuses by attempting to achieve modularity of some of the components that can be used in various applications and versions of the apparatus when dispensing folded or unfolded paper towels.
In addition, the characteristics of the various dispensing apparatuses vary in terms of their shape and dimensions depending on various markets and requirements so that there is a very substantial increase in the cost of manufacture, particularly that of dies used to produce the different components and, in particular, the drums which are made of plastic.
The first object sought after by the invention was therefore to devise an apparatus of which the length can be modified easily in order to match the desired applications by using standard dies, thus limiting the number of dies and reducing manufacturing costs.
Another object sought after by the invention was to devise an apparatus of which the dimensions can be perfectly adapted to the demands of the various markets.
Another object sought after by the invention was to benefit from these attempt to enhance the functioning of the apparatus in the sense of improved gripping of the paper band passing over the drum regardless of the direction in which the paper is pulled by the user.
Another object sought after by the invention was to make the drum extremely light whilst nevertheless fulfilling the required functions.
These objects and others will become apparent from the following description.
According to a first characteristic, the drum is made in the form of modular elements and comprises three components including a main body with an internally hollow shaft of small diameter capable of accommodating two assemblies of opposite elements at each of its ends which can be assembled or disassembled quickly comprising a one-piece sleeve of variable length connected to an end flange and in that self-gripping means are placed on the main body of the drum and on the end elements in order to ensure retention and dispensing of the paper band.